CHAPTER LI.

Trip to Detroit—­American Fur Company; its
history and organization—­American Lyceum;
its objects—­Desire to write books on Indian
subjects by persons not having the information to render
them valuable—­Reappearance of cholera—­Mission
of Mackinack; its history and condition—­Visit
of a Russian officer of the Imperial Guards—­Chicago;
its prime position for a great entrepot—­Area
and destiny of the Mississippi Valley.

CHAPTER LII.

Philology—­Structure of the Indian languages—­Letter
from Mr. Duponceau—­Question of the philosophy
of the Chippewa syntax—­Letter from a Russian
officer on his travels in the West—­Queries
on the physical history of the North—­Leslie
Duncan, a maniac—­Arwin on the force of
dissipation—­Missionary life on the sources
of the Mississippi—­Letter from Mr. Boutwell—­Theological
Review—­The Territory of Michigan, tired
of a long delay, determines to organize a State Government.

CHAPTER LIII.

Indications of a moral revolution in the place—­Political
movements at Detroit—­Review of the state
of society at Michilimackinack, arising from its being
the great central power of the north-west fur trade—­A
letter from Dr. Greene—­Prerequisites of
the missionary function—­Discouragements—­The
state of the Mackinack Mission—­Problem
of employing native teachers and evangelists—­Letter
of Mr. Duponceau—­Ethnological gossip—­Translation
of the Bible into Algonquin—­Don M. Najera—­Premium
offered by the French Institute—­Persistent
Satanic influence among the Indian tribes—­Boundary
dispute with Ohio—­Character of the State
Convention.

CHAPTER LIV.

Requirements of a missionary laborer—­Otwin—­American
quadrupeds—­Geological question—­Taste
of an Indian chief for horticulture—­Swiss
missionaries to the Indians—­Secretary of
War visits the island—­Frivolous literary,
diurnal, and periodical press—­Letter of
Dr. Ives on this topic—­Lost boxes of minerals
and fresh-water shells—­Geological visit
of Mr. Featherstonehaugh and Lieut. Mather—­Mr.
Hastings—­A theological graduate.

CHAPTER LV.

Rage for investment in western lands—–­Habits
of the common deer—­Question of the punishment
of Indian murders committed in the Indian country—­A
chief calls to have his authority recognized on the
death of a predecessor—­Dr. Julius, of Prussia—­Gen.
Robert Patterson—­Pressure of emigration—­Otwin—­Dr.
Gilman and Mr. Hoffman—­Picturesque trip
to Lake Superior—­Indians desire to cede
territory—­G.W. Featherstonehaugh—­Sketch
of his geological reconnoissance of the St. Peter’s
River—­Dr. Thomas H. Webb—­Question
of inscriptions on American rocks—­Antiquities—­Embark
for Washington, and come down the lakes in the great
tempest of 1835.